The present invention relates to rotating disk data storage devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in rotating disk data storage device technology enabling the construction and use of a very small, compact and inexpensive data storage device having vastly expanded storage capacity.
Small rotating rigid disk drives are known in the art. The assignee of the present invention pioneered the development of a high capacity, low cost eight inch rigid disk drive known in the trade as the Q2000.TM. series of disk drives. Such drives have been very successful. Various facets thereof are set forth in the following U.S. patent applications commonly assigned with the present invention: RE 32,075 Ser. No. 06/190,198 filed Sept. 24, 1980 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,959; Ser. No. 06/304,209 filed Sept. 21, 1981 now U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,419,701, and 06/424,914 filed Sept. 27, 1982 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,177.
While the assignee's eight inch rigid disk drive product line has been very well received, a need has arisen for a 51/4 inch rigid disk drive product which combines the features of very high data storage capacity and very small physical packaging, reliability and low cost, features not readily apparent from the elements employed in the assignee's established eight inch rigid disk drive product line or in competitive products.